Four males and two females patients with the Gaucher's disease had their bone mineral content evaluated by a new technique named ultrasonic absorptiometry or broadband ultrasonic attenuation. Among these, five were also evaluated by quantitative computed topography (QCf), and four by dual photon absorptiometry (DPA). The ultrasonic diagnostic method is based on the attenuation of the acoustic energy taken at the ca1caneus of the patient. The received ultrasound waveform collected by a digital oscilloscope is transferred to a microcomputer for storage and off-tine analysis. The waveform were processed using the Discrete Fourier Transform, and a estimate of the heel's frequency attenuation slope (Â), in dB/MHz over the frequency range 200-600 Khz, was obtained using a least square straight tine fito Results have indicated a correlation between the slope and bone mineral content.

Four males and two females patients with the Gaucher's disease had their bone mineral content evaluated by a new technique named ultrasonic absorptiometry or broadband ultrasonic attenuation. Among these, five were also evaluated by quantitative computed topography (QCf), and four by dual photon absorptiometry (DPA). The ultrasonic diagnostic method is based on the attenuation of the acoustic energy taken at the ca1caneus of the patient. The received ultrasound waveform collected by a digital oscilloscope is transferred to a microcomputer for storage and off-tine analysis. The waveform were processed using the Discrete Fourier Transform, and a estimate of the heel's frequency attenuation slope (Â), in dB/MHz over the frequency range 200-600 Khz, was obtained using a least square straight tine fito Results have indicated a correlation between the slope and bone mineral content.